A train carrying 350 passengers collided head-on with a freight train, with the front carriages catching fire and being almost completely destroyed. Photo: Portal.
Protests and clashes with police erupted in Greece following the train crash on Tuesday night, February 28, which left at least 57 people dead and dozens injured.
A train carrying 350 passengers collided head-on with a freight train, with the front carriages catching fire and being almost completely destroyed. Many of the travelers were students in their early 20s leaving Thessaloniki after celebrating Greek Orthodox Lent.
Many protesters believe that due to the situation of the country’s railway network, an accident like this would happen sooner or later.
The Greek capital saw clashes with police outside the headquarters of Hellenic Train, the company in charge of rail maintenance in the Greek nation.
Greeks also protested in Thessaloniki and in the city of Larissa, near the clash.
The government declared three days of mourning and announced an independent investigation. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the cause of the accident was “tragic human error”.
The manager of the local train station in Larissa (59 years old) has been charged with manslaughter. He denies any wrongdoing and claims the accident was due to a technical defect.
Rail union members believe the safety systems are not working properly, a problem they have been warning about for years.
Railway workers began a strike on Thursday over alleged railway negligence.
“The lack of respect that governments have shown Greek trains over the years has led to this tragic outcome,” the railway workers’ union said in a series of comments cited by Portal.
Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis resigned over the accident. He said he would accept responsibility for the authorities’ “long-standing failure” to repair a rail system that he says is unfit for this century.
Rescuers worked all night at the site of the worst train accident in Greece.
Relatives of the victims came to a nearby hospital to provide DNA samples to help identify the remains. This process will be difficult, especially for those in the front cars who suffered the impact of the crash and fire
Fire department spokesman Vassilis Varthakogiannis reported that temperatures inside the first car reached 1,300C.
(With information from BBC News World)